Words Not Spoken
by Mintbear
Summary: Just a romantic story about Claus and Alister. Takes place after the series.
1. Chapter 1

The crickets chirped their nightly song as Alister Agrew walked along the path to Claus Valca and Lavie Head's house. The nearly full moon cast a soft yellow light against the wood and fields, and Alister noted that it was a particularly cool evening, despite an earlier warmth. Her lace-up sandals clicked a quick pace on the cobblestone path as she tried to reach her friends' place before they left for the performance which was playing in town. The notes she had in her small side bag were all prepared and ready for the two to transport to Silvana City.

Life had gained a semblance of normality since the colonists came to their new home, and the people, for the most part, returned to their original occupations. Sophia Forrester remained Empress over both the former citizens of Anatoray and Disith, and her government was chosen from the best of both political bodies. The military combined the strength of both, and the industrial economy of Disith helped to mobilize the agricultural economy of Anatoray, with Anatoray providing food and raw materials for the Disith production facilities.

To everyone's surprise, Alex Row was found alive within Exile, and several weeks of careful rehabilitation brought him back to health. Empress Sophia took him as her consort, and his magnetism and natural leadership abilities helped to unite the people into one nation. Dio Eraclea, unfortunately, was never heard from again.

Alister and Tatiana became piloting instructors for a while. Tatiana was eventually recalled back to her family to assume the role of Duchess of Wisla House, her family royalty. Her father had passed on, and her mother became so distraught with grief that she had to be committed to a private sanitarium. Alister missed her old friend, and the two communicated frequently, visiting every time Tatiana happened to pass through New Norkia. Alister found employment as a gardener, and was able to become quite good at it, earning a reputation for patience and attention to detail both in gardening and in teaching fellow gardeners.

Claus and Lavie continued to pilot, teaching young children how to fly and making deliveries of important documents between government agencies. Their fame brought them enough fortune to have a comfortable, yet humble life, and neither of them wanted much attention anyway.

Mullin and Dunya were expecting their first child this autumn. Not like they didn't have enough people in the house, considering Dunya's younger brothers and sisters. But Mullin did well as a farmer, and the family saw no burden in having another mouth or two to feed.

As Alister made her way towards the house, she thought back on their time aboard the Silvana, and about how different life was since the Guild War. Her memories drifted from the Anatoray Academy to the Silvana, to the race track to Exile. Thoughts of Alex, Sophia, Tatiana, Alvis, Dio and Lavie played in her head, as they always did. And she thought of Claus. Alister was an analytical girl and was always told by Tatiana to "get her head out of the clouds". But when she thought of her friends, her mind always drifted to the blond haired young man in the flight suit, or as he was now that he often wore a polo shirt and jeans. She got a warm feeling from thinking about him, and wondered if there was another person in the world as genuine and caring as him.

Alister was almost at Claus and Lavie's door when she noticed that their vanship was gone. Stranger still, several lights were still on inside the house. Someone had to be home. She walked up the small lighted walkway to the door and knocked.

Claus Valca was at his dining room table, going over a blueprint the Blue World Aerospace Association had asked for and was expecting in the morning. Lavie had just taken twelve-year-old Alvis Hamilton to see the new play in town and this left Claus several hours to quietly focus on the order he was tasked to.

He looked up from the blueprint and took in a long look of his home. Though it was nice to have Lavie and Alvis living with him, he longed for the company of his other friends too. It wasn't that he didn't visit anyone, but it would have been nice to see them more often than he did.

Claus took a drink from his glass of berrybeer and burped once. Smoother and more fragrant and than grain based beer, berrybeer was less alcoholic, and could be consumed without becoming intoxicated. So long as one didn't drink several glasses at once.

Setting the glass down, Claus noticed that the bedroom door was open, and walked over to shut it. But reaching the doorway, he looked around the room and sighed. Lavie was a great roommate, and the two were very close. They grew up together, they trusted each other, and they got along famously. But something was missing from their relationship and he knew what it was. As close as Claus was to Lavie, there wasn't that spark. The kind of spark Lavie tells him about in her romance novels. The kind he thought he would have with her. She wasn't unattractive; she was actually rather "cute" in her own pixie-ish sort of way. Claus thought often on the problem and narrowed it down to the idea that they'd spent too much time together as children to ever feel that "something" for each other. She was too much his "sister" to be his girlfriend or wife. It would be just too weird.

He also realized that he didn't feel that "something" for Tatiana Wisla when the two were trapped in the desert together. She was most definitely beautiful and desirable, no doubt about that. Every man on the Silvana spoke behind her back about how they wanted to get her "into bed". Even some of the other female officers were jealous of her cold yet arousing sexual beauty. Claus considered himself fortunate; as he got to see her nearly naked when he helped her switch into his clothes after they had crashed, and those memories always cracked a smile on his face. He was perhaps the only man to ever see her bare breasts. He also remembered at how she gave him a coy, sexy look over her shoulder as she changed clothes. The bulge in his pants betrayed his arousal. The blush on his face betrayed his embarrassment.

Still, he had no desire to…make love to her? No, she was too screwed up in the head for him to ever see as a lover or a mate.

Empress Sophia had kissed him on the lips once. But Claus frowned at that memory. She probably took pity on him that day and saw him as a younger version of Alex. No feelings of loss there.

Claus' mind drifted to Alister, and he felt a quick flush of his skin. With Tatiana gone, Alister and Lavie had struck up a great friendship, with Alister at their place nearly every day. Alister even saw Alvis as almost a niece or younger sister. Little Alvis herself was certainly in awe of the former vanship navigator and always enjoyed it when Alister visited.

There were times when Alister would visit, and she and Claus would talk. Oddly enough, Claus felt more comfortable talking to Alister about his thoughts than he did Lavie. He told her of his interests and his views on the world. She would quietly listen and nod, and sometimes offer her own view or take on the idea. Very often, in fact almost every time, her view and Claus' would be exactly the same. A particular conversation came back to him from a time when they were talking in the living room about the Guild War.

"I just can't understand why it took everyone so long to see that the Guild was pitting both sides against each other." he had said, "I mean, the war went on and on, yet nobody stopped to ask why nobody was winning?"

"Maybe they were all so busy living their lives that they couldn't or didn't want to look up and see what was happening."

"Yeah, you're right, Alis. Even Lavie and I were blind to it before we landed with the Silvana. We didn't question the war either. We just went about delivering secret documents as if it were normal. God, we were so stupid."

"You weren't stupid Claus." she corrected, "You were doing your job. You didn't ask to become part of the war; the war forced you to become part of it." A short pause. "It forced all of us."

"Yeah it did."

Claus wondered if his friendship with Alister was betraying the one he had with Lavie. But then he realized that Lavie never became jealous of Claus' friendship with Alister, and always greeted the girl if she was there when Lavie came back from being out.

That moment, he suddenly noticed that his feelings towards Lavie when Alister was around were of slight annoyance. He didn't want her there. He wanted Alister to himself. But he never would get her to himself. Alister showed no signs of interest in him romantically, and he pretty much resigned himself long ago to the fact that Lavie would be his eventual wife and mother to his children. How boring.

He was about to close the door to the bedroom when he heard a knock from the living room. He walked over to the front door, a second knock echoing from it, and peeped through the peephole. Alister!

Claus' heart beat faster and he unconsciously straightened his shirt and tried to brush his bangs out of his face. Then he cleared his throat and opened the door. Standing before him was Alister Agrew, dressed in a simple one-piece, knee length dress with spaghetti straps and a tied bow in the back. She wore a round felt hat with wide brim and band on her head, and her feet were laced with very complimentary lace up sandals. Her honey blonde hair was in its standard braid which hung over her left shoulder and was tied at the end with a small satin strip. Her bangs hung down over her forehead, stopping just above her eyebrows. Her rather round breasts filled out the top of her dress well, her cleavage just poking through the top. The bag hung from a strap over her shoulder could have been a purse for all he knew. She wore no makeup, but Claus didn't care. Her long eyelashes and large cocoa brown eyes were enough to arouse even the coldest hearted man. He found her incredibly beautiful.

"Alister!" he said, still surprised that she would visit this late at night.

"Hello, Claus." she said reaching into her bag "I have the paperwork you needed for your run to Silvana City."

"Come on in!" he motioned, "Let's take a look." She stepped through the doorway and walked inside. The fireplace was crackling and the place looked unusually clean. Alister noticed that Lavie and Alvis were gone.

"Where's Lavie and Alvis?" she asked.

"Oh! They're at the play." he answered. "I had work to do, so I stayed here. They'll be gone for a few hours, so you'll probably miss them. There's berrybeer and food in the fridge if you want some." Claus offered. With most guests he would offer coffee or something more formal. But Alister was over at least once a week and putting on formalities would be silly. Still, Claus did find himself on better behavior around her than he usually was with Lavie.

Alister set her bag down on the dining room table and began to unbuckle the tiny buckles on her sandals. As she stepped out of her shoes, Claus noticed how beautiful and perfectly formed her feet were. Small and thin with cute rounded toes painted a light pink. He pushed back an urge to fondle them. Alister dropped her hat over the bag.

"Do you have some coffee?" she asked humbly, "It's a bit cold out." Claus closed the door and made his way over to the kitchen.

"Sure!" he said, "Lemme just get the water boiling." He filled the teapot with water and started the gas stove. Soon the sound of a teaspoon filled the kitchen as he stirred the cream and sugar into the two cups. He brought them to the living room where Alister was sitting, her knees together, her back straight. 'Even in a place as familiar as my house', Claus thought, 'she's so proper.'

The two of them spent an hour or two talking about how their days went, and also about her gardening job. They discussed the documents and he showed her the drawings he was working on. She pointed out a few errors she noticed in the design and they corrected them together, often finding themselves moving to correct the same thing, only to bump hands. They both giggled when that happened. Somehow just being around each other made them feel…happier. She smiled when he made an unintentionally funny comment, and he smiled just seeing her glance in his direction.

"Oh, and this needs to be thinner by about ten percent." he said, seeing extra bulk on one of the wing sections. However, Alister knew they adjusted for that already.

"Wait" she said calmly, "Don't."

As he moved to change a measurement she stopped him, placing her hand on his, then pointed with her other hand to the reason why the number should remain.

"We've already factored that, see?"

"Oh yeah." he said, "You're right. Let's lower…" Her hand didn't move from his. He looked up to her eyes. 

"Something wrong?" he asked. Alister released his hand. Then she stood up and walked into the living room, her back to him

"Alister?" he called. She raised her head and turned to face him.

"Claus, we need to talk." She walked over to him and took his hand in her own. Guiding him to the bedroom she shut the door.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alister, why are we talking in my bedroom?" Claus worried that Lavie would come home and misunderstand, as she was prone to doing. Alister didn't answer, but walked to the bed and sat down. Claus followed her and sat next to her.

"Alis" he said, "I think I know what you want to talk about, but maybe we should wait."

"Wait for what?" she asked, her voice almost forlorn, her gaze not leaving the floor, "Claus, I can't keep my feelings for you bottled up. And I know you feel the same thing for me. I see it. Every time you look at me, every time we talk. I…I don't want to keep pretending that it doesn't exist." She put her hand on his and gave it a squeeze.

"Alis", he said, squeezing back, "I _do_ feel something for you. Something I didn't feel for Tatiana when she and I were alone. And as much as it hurts to say it, I don't even feel it for Lavie. I wanted to tell you all this time but I…I was afraid you'd…well, I--"

Claus felt Alister's soft lips push upon his. He was too shocked to respond, and she felt it. Embarrassed at her actions, she broke the kiss and turned away from him. "I'm sorry, Claus," she apologized, "I…I shouldn't have done--"

Wordlessly, Claus pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. Relieved that he felt the same way about her, she kissed back. Claus embraced her and held her tightly, but she shoved her hands against his shoulders and pushed him down on the bed. As Claus laid there stunned by her suddenly aggressive behavior, Alister climbed on top of him and straddled his waist. She leaned forward and they kissed again.

"Wait, Alister…what if Lavie and Alvis come back?" Claus asked.

"They just left, didn't they?"

"Oh yeah, they did." Claus agreed.

"And they won't be back for a few hours?" He saw where she was going with this.

"Nope." Alister smiled.

"Good." Claus smiled back and pulled her face to his, meeting it with a sensual replay of their first kiss. She moaned into his mouth as his hips bucked up to hers.

As he pulled down the shoulder straps which held up the top of her dress, Claus could feel Alister pull his shirt up and off. With a quick tug, she yanked his shirt over his head and let it flop down on the floor beside them. It crumpled into a heap. Sitting back up, Alister shrugged her shoulders, letting her dress drop down to her waist, exposing her perfectly round breasts. They rose and fell in unison with her quiet panting. Claus hesitantly reached his hands up to touch them, and pressed them gently against her two orbs, letting his fingertips feel the suppleness of her skin.

"So soft." he whispered. Alister giggled at the wonderment in his eyes and began to unbuckle Claus' pants. In response, Claus moved his hands down to the small of Alister's back and gently tugged at the ribbon which held her dress tight around her body. It unraveled. With minimal effort, he pushed her dress down past her hips. Alister stopped her machinations and wriggled the garment over her knees, then kicked it away. She also took her braid and pulled the ribbon ends apart, and her braid unfurled into a mane of honey blonde.

At the sight of Alister's topless form, framed by her long hair, Claus' heart leapt. Even though she still wore a pair of pink, flowery panties, the form of Alister's rounded pussy could be made out beneath the fabric, and Claus saw that the spot at the center was dark with wetness. Claus looked up at Alister, then down between her legs. Alister was happy to oblige. She slowly thumbed the elastic waistband of her underwear and slid the fabric down and off, making sure not to rush it. Claus' heart rate skyrocketed. Discarding the panties, Alister let her last vestige of clothing fall to the floor next to her dress.

Now Claus was given a perfect view of Alister's nude body straddling his pelvis. Centered on top of his stiff bulge was a soft puff of fur, dark blonde in color, with a vertical cleft running down its middle and underneath her body. Something in Claus' mind knew instinctively that he had to push himself into that. He didn't know why, only that his blood cried out to do so.

Alister knew that Claus liked what he saw, but she wanted to see him the same way too. Hoping to make him growl with impatience, she unclasped his buckle with agonizing slowness. When his pants finally slid off, Claus' dick bounced up in a sensual salute to his owner's lover. It was ready.

Upon closer inspection, Alister could see that Claus' penis was not only stiff, but wet at the tip; a kind of clear but sparkly wetness. She also noticed that much to her amusement it was bobbing minutely to Claus heartbeat.

"Wow." She mumbled in curious fascination, wondering how something so thick, so long, would supposed to fit inside of her, "I've never seen one before". Claus swallowed nervously.

"Well, um," he stumbled, "That's mine."

"Can I touch it?" she asked out of politeness.

"Sure, go ahead." She took the heated cock in her right hand and gave it a slight squeeze. A dribble of the clear fluid pulsed out and puddle on Claus' abdomen. He let in a stiff breath and she giggled.

"Alis", Claus whispered. "That feels _good_." Oddly enough, he sensed his now contracted scrotum was wet, and looked down to see why. As with his own member, Alister's outer lips were leaking the same clear fluid, but her liquid was wetting his balls, making them slick against her pussy. He also saw that her outer lips were slightly parted, and a second set of smaller, thinner pink lips were peeking through. 'Beautiful', Claus thought, 'She's like a rose.'

He reached forward to touch her inviting pussy, but then looked up for permission. She nodded. He pressed his thumbs to her mound, stroking them down her cleft. Her pink petals were soft and wet. He moved his thumbs further up her vulva and felt a stiff nub where her slit ended. Exploring there, he moved one thumb back and forth, then up and down.

"Oh, Claus!" Alister breathed. He could tell that it gave her the same sensation as her squeezing his member. He let the middle finger of his right hand slide down along the part in her lips, where it found entrance into her pink heat.

"Go ahead." she breathed, and he slid his finger inside of her, right up to his third knuckle. She was hot, and moist, and her sex seemed to close around his finger like a glove. Alister tensed at the intrusion, and reacting to his rubbing and prodding, she pulled down on his shaft. Another small amount of nectar flowed out of the tip, running over her fingers as her mate gritted his teeth, growling. He could see sweat glistening on Alister's forehead, where her heavy bangs met her eyebrows, and then realized that he was sweating too. Deep within him, an urge built up in Claus telling him to do something primal and animal to Alister; to take out his finger and shove in his straining member. But his overriding sense of decency screamed for him to get her permission first.

"Alister?" he asked, withdrawing his finger from her body. Using her full name betrayed the seriousness of his request.

"Yes, Claus?" she said, her brown eyes meeting with his blue.

"Can I…I mean, do you think you want to…?"

"Yeah.", she nodded, "I want to."

"Okay.", he smiled.

Claus placed his hands on the sides of her hips, and she braced herself on her knees. Then she raised her pelvis just above his erection and slowly sat down on top of him. As she lowered, he felt her warm softness engulf his tip. Then she stopped.

"Wait.", she said, keeping him just an inch inside. Claus feared the worst, that Alister was having second thoughts.

"What is it?" he asked.

"This is gonna hurt a bit for me, but keep going, okay?" He nodded, relieved that she wanted to continue. Alister resumed the penetration and bit her lip as Claus felt her body stretch to accommodate him. Though she had long ago broken her hymen, Alister was still virginally tight.

"You okay?" he blinked. The hot and wet sensation surrounding his cock nearly overwhelmed his mind.

"I'm fine." she breathed. "I just have to…relax…to take you in." She continued to ease herself downward, the sound of his penetration wet and sticky. Claus let his head fall back, his eyes closed, enjoying the sensation of being enveloped by Alister's soft warmth. Then her buttocks once again rested on his thighs. Claus looked down his body to see Alister's furry lips parted open with his shaft disappearing between them, having been seemingly swallowed into her lower body.

Alister leaned forward and they kissed again. Opening her mouth, she let his tongue gain entrance and find hers in sensual passion. After breaking the kiss, she rose back up in to sitting position and began to move up and down. She felt Claus' thick member stretch her over and over again as his cock happily slid in and out of her pussy, and involuntarily let out a moan of enjoyment, grinding her clitoris into his pubic bone for added stimulation. Claus moved his hands to Alister's hips and thrust upward to match her rhythm. Her breasts bounced in time with her movement. Claus couldn't help but to watch them in delight.

They continued for several minutes, quietly fucking each other, enjoying each other's scent of heat and sex, and drinking in the pleasure of the other's presence. Unexpectedly, a look of discomfort came over Alister's face and for a moment Claus wondered if he had done something wrong. But instead of stopping she quickened her tempo and a heavy moan escaped from deep in her throat. Her breathing stopped for a second as she shut her eyes and arched her back forward, repeatedly rubbing her clit into Claus' body. A small scream escape from her tightened jaw.

"Claus…Claus! Oh God--" she cried, following the plea with several vocalizations of helpless pleasure. Claus could feel Alister contract and pulse around his dick and knew that she was experiencing a physical release of pleasure. Warm clear fluid dribbled out of her and down his penis, glistening on his pubic hair. He gently pulled her down to him and kissed her lips, her cheeks; his hands running up and down her smooth back. Alister panted heavily as waves of orgasm passed over her.

Though blissful in letting Alister pleasure herself with his body, an urge for control built up within Claus. As she finished coming down from her orgasm, he rolled them both over. He landed on his elbows and knees, and his penis slipped out of her vagina. Alister gasped in shock, unprepared for Claus' move.

"Claus?" she asked, her voice shaking from both the orgasm and the rollover. Claus sensed a touch of guilt inside from frightening the girl, and calmed her nerves with a loving kiss on the lips.

"I'm sorry." he said, brushing her now wet bangs away from her eyes "I just need to…_fuck_ you, so badly." She smiled in understanding and reached her hand up, playing a bit with his messy mop of blonde hair. His bangs too were wet, and they hung limp like a curtain over his eyes.

Sensing that he was going to be somewhat rough with her, Claus gathered a few of his bed pillows and propped them behind Alister's head and shoulders, and she reached back and pulled her hair out from under her neck. It fell in a waterfall over her right shoulder. Ready for another bout of sex, the two of them wiggled a bit to get more comfortable.

Claus knew where to enter, and buried himself into Alister. She spread her legs further apart to allow him to enter more deeply, but he grabbed first one thigh, then the other, pulling them back to his hips. He wanted to feel her walls tight against his shaft. Alister obliged and squeezed her thighs around his waist, locking her ankles behind his back. Her breasts, now flattened against her chest, still looked beautiful to him, and he rubbed them sensually, taking care to lightly touch her nipples, and the darkened areas around them. She arched her back upon contact.

They kissed again, and he started fucking her; softly at first, but he soon quickened his pace and was slamming fiercely into her over and over, his hands squeezing her hips. The only sounds in the room were their shallow breathing, the rhythmic slapping of his body against hers, and the wet, squishy sound of his throbbing cock pushing in and out of her now soaked pussy.

Claus soon felt a pressure building up inside of him like a torrent of raging water. He needed that same climax she had felt, that same release, and he needed it now! Alister saw that he was trying to hold back for her sake, and she reached up and caressed the side of Claus' face, knowing his orgasm was fast approaching.

"It's okay, Claus," she said gently, "Don't hold back."

A few more powerful thrusts, a quick stiff breath in, and a long, angry growl escaped Claus's gritted teeth as he pushed into Alister one last time, filling her pussy with his seed. It felt like he was pouring his soul into her.

"_Alister_!" he groaned reflexively as he felt the pulsing spurts of his fluid squirt into her, "Oh, I _love_ you, Alis! I love you so _much_!" Several tears trickled down her temples as she remembered similar words being spoken by her parents when she was little. It had been many years since those words were last said to her, and now she heard it from the one man she thought of as a nicer, gentler person than she.

"I love you too, Claus." she whispered back, her voice catching in her throat. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and he fell against her, his erection softening in post-orgasm. Remembering not to crush her body, he propped himself up on his elbows. Sweat ran down his body and his lungs heaved from exhaustion. They kissed fervently, her arms wrapped around his neck, his hands caressing her face. She noticed that he too had tears in his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

After several moments, he slid out of her. She felt a running warmth and looked down to see his cum seeping from between her legs.

"Hey", she said softly, breaking the passion, "Do you have any tissues?" Claus' brain took a moment to register why Alister would be asking for those, then turned his gaze down to where she was looking. He immediately reached with his right hand over to the night stand and took several tissues from a small wooden box. She quickly snatched them from him and pressed them to her vagina, hoping to catch the majority of the fluid.

"Eww.", she said in slight annoyance. Claus blushed.

"Sorry," he apologized, "I uh…couldn't help it."

"That's okay." she answered, "I know. I think if I sit up…" Claus sat up to his knees and helped Alister to a semi-sitting position so that his semen could run out. She braced herself on one hand and flexed her Kegel muscles to help expel the semen.

"Better?" he asked. She nodded and wiped her labia clean, then the sheets. Looking down, Claus saw that his dick was also covered in bodily liquids and used several tissues to wipe himself off. He then took the used tissues from Alister and walked to the bathroom, tossing them all into the small trash can by the sink. Then he walked back into the bedroom and sat down at the head of the bed, where Alister scooted up to him and leaned back, resting her shoulders against Claus' chest. Claus clasped Alister's hands in his, left to left, right to right, and wrapped his arms around her in a double hug. She rested her head against his shoulder. She heard his slow breathing, and he felt her heartbeat. Burying his nose in her dark blonde hair, Claus took in a deep breath and could smell Alister's scent. It smelled wonderful.

"You like my scent?" she asked, a bit amused that a man would smell the top of her head.

"Yeah," Claus replied, exhaling. "You smell beautiful." Alister squinted her eyes closed, willing herself not to cry. Claus kissed her where he had taken in her scent and their eyes met.

They sat there quietly, the two teens naked and embracing on the bed Claus slept on. It was a strange silence between them. Claus always thought that he would end up with Lavie. But to be sitting here naked on his bed, holding a girl he just made love with, just fucked passionately; a girl he only this morning considered a dear friend, but hadn't ever thought he would get as his lover…

But then he thought about it, and it made sense. Lavie was his best friend, and by all counts might as well have been his sister. He couldn't dream of doing to Lavie what he just did to Alister. That would be… His mind shuddered at the thought. Then there was Tatiana. Claus had his chance with her in the desert, and also aboard the Silvana, but didn't make a move. Maybe it was the war they were in, but Claus, for all the time he spent alone with Tatiana, couldn't muster the attraction or feelings for her that he now had for Alister. Something about Tatiana screamed "needy", "troubled"…"fragile".

Empress Sophia Forrester was the Empress of their new world, so she wouldn't ever choose him. Dunya Shetland was Mullin's wife. No way.

All these thoughts ran through Claus' mind in a fraction of a second as he sat with this beautiful angel, this girl, Alister. In that moment he knew he wanted her for a mate; for a mother to his children. He wanted _her_, and now she was his.

Alister also had thoughts traveling in her mind as she lay back in Claus' arms. The last hour was amazing, but also completely overwhelming. As usual, she buried her emotions in defense and kept an air of calm peace. But for the first time, the feelings she had for Claus were enough to crack that shell she perfected, and she frantically searched her consciousness for a way to reinforce her demeanor.

When she was at the Anatoray Academy, there were several suitors that caught Alister's eye. Some were handsome; a few of them were even sexy or cute. She'd fantasize about being swept off her feet and ravished by one of them, but the dream would turn analytical and her mind would remember something disagreeable, ruining the fantasy. A few of the mechanics aboard the Silvana were good looking, and one even seemed pleasant and admirable in his mannerisms. Even Captain Alex Row and Vincent Alzey made her heart patter in anticipation. But she was always able to shut out those childish thoughts and set herself to piloting or navigating or whatever she was focused on.

Yet since the Exile incident, Alister couldn't stop thinking of Claus. Sure Tatiana had a crush on the young pilot when they were aboard the Silvana, but Alister was able to talk sense into the girl and Tatiana moved on. What Alister couldn't do was get herself to move on. Of all the men she encountered in her life, here was a young man whose heart and soul were softer than hers, kinder but stronger. She always told herself that Claus loved Lavie, and to just accept that Lavie was his eventual partner. Had she ever given any serious thought to the idea that she might have Claus to herself, she would have chastised herself for being so childish, so selfish.

She didn't come over to expose her feelings for him. She definitely didn't expect to have sex with him, to make love to him. But then it just…happened. Yet lying here in his arms felt so right, so good. She didn't care if Lavie walked in, or if Tatiana caught them here. Claus was hers.

Without warning, the latch to the front door opened, and the two lovers heard Lavie and Alvis return.

"Claus?" Lavie called, her arms stuffed with bags of things, "Come on, Claus, stop kidding around." She and Alvis walked through the door and dropped the bags in the dining room.

"Maybe he's sleeping, Lavie?" Alvis asked. Lavie shook her head.

"Just like him to leave the lights on, isn't it?" she said as she walked into the living room. Alvis noticed two cups of coffee, a handbag, and a pair of ladies sandals.

"Hey, Lavie?" she asked, "These sandals aren't yours, are they?" Lavie looked down at them.

"Nope, but they're really pretty." She said. 'Oh great' she thought, 'Now Claus is cross-dressing. I told him he needed to get out and meet new people, but would he listen to me?' Frustrated at Claus' lack of tidiness, Lavie stormed to the bedroom door and opened it wide. She was going to give him an earful.

What she saw could have horrified her, it could have angered her. But Lavie was so shocked, she just stared. Lying on the bed, draped in Claus' bathrobe was Claus…and Alister. Their clothes were strewn on the floor. Lavie's mouth slowly opened, but all she could manage was,

"Oh."

Alvis' head peaked around the door jamb and saw the two lying on the bed. She waved.

"Hi Claus!" she greeted cheerfully, "Hi Alister! Whatcha doing?" Claus and Alister blushed with embarrassment. Lavie finding them like this was one thing. But Alvis seeing them this way was weird.

"Uh, hi Alvis." Claus said, "We'll be right out."

"Okay!" Alvis smiled, then disappeared. Lavie, on the other hand, did not disappear. Instead she closed the door behind her.

"You" she said, pointing at Alister, "Leave." She then pointed at Claus.

"You, get dressed." Alister shook her head.

"No, Lavie." she said calmly, "I'm staying. I'm as much a part of this as he is, and I deserve to be part of your conversation." Lavie grew angrier, and she felt as if she was going to cry.

"But Claus, how could you, in my house?!" Alister's face became deadly serious.

"It's Claus' house too, Lavie." she answered, "And this is his bedroom, not yours."

Lavie opened her mouth to speak, but failing to find any words, she turned and left.

"Lavie, wait!" Claus called after her, but it was to no avail. He heard the front door slam behind the angry redhead.

Alvis stood in the living room, completely confused. She blinked twice.

"Lavie?"


	4. Chapter 4

Claus and Alister heard the door slam shut as they lay there motionless on the bed, a look of worry on both of their faces. Alister was worried that the exchange which had just taken place would sour Claus' feelings about the whole evening. Claus was just worried about what might happen when Lavie returned. Breaking their concentration was the sight of a pair of large eyes peering through the doorway into the bedroom.

"Claus?"

"Hi, Alvis." Claus said, flushing with embarrassment, "Uh, we-we'll be right out. Just close the door, okay?" Alister was also red in the cheeks. Alvis cocked her head slightly and blinked.

"Is Lavie gonna be back soon?" she inquired innocently.

"Yeah, she'll be back." Claus said, "Just…close the door. Alister and I need a minute to get dressed." Alister shifted uneasily beneath the bathrobe, trying to stay covered.

"Is it because you and Alister are naked?" Apparently, Alvis wasn't going to close the door until they explained what was going on.

"Claus and I found out that we love each other, and Lavie thought that Claus loved her.", Alister said patiently, "We'll talk about it some more in a few minutes, but right now Claus and I need time alone." Alvis' expression dropped and she nodded slowly.

"Okay.", she said, the rejected feeling showing in her voice. Her head disappeared and a small arm closed the door. The moment the latch clicked, Claus immediately leaped from the bed to the doorknob and turned the lock, giving the two lovers a modicum of privacy. Now safe from the little girl's curiously prying eyes, Alister dropped the robe from her chest and sighed. Claus tilted his head back and brushed his hand through his hair. Then he walked silently back to the bed and sat down on the edge His bangs flopped back down into his eyes.

"Don't blame yourself, Claus." Alister said soothingly, knowing what the young man was thinking, "Lavie will get over her feelings. We just need to give her some time." Alister crawled over to him and wriggled her arms around his body, hugging him and resting her head on his left shoulder.

"Do you regret what we did?" he asked. As he turned his head to look into her eyes, Alister smiled, then kissed him lightly on the lips.

"No." she answered. Her voice was calm but firm. "I don't."

"Me neither." He replied joyfully. His voice carried a twinge of nervous excitement. "I'd do you again in a se-…I mean '_that_', I-I'd do '_that_' again in a heartbeat. Oh jeez, Alister. I'm sorry, I meant…" Alister's eyebrows jumped up, then she giggled at the slip up and kissed her lover again.

"I know." she reassured him, "I'd do _you_ again too."

"I love you, Alister."

"I love you too, Claus."

They stared into each other's eyes for another minute, then kissed again, deeper than before, and she released him from her embrace. Sliding off of the bed, Alister began to walk towards Claus' bathroom. Claus' posture straightened up and he couldn't help but to watch her nude form and smile. She stopped and looked back over her shoulder towards him.

"May I use your shower?" she asked politely. Her voice was honest and innocent, devoid of any ulterior motive.

"Of course!" he said, more than happy to oblige the young woman. Alister opened the bathroom door and entered the small room. As the sink and mirror were part of a vanity which was technically still within the bedroom, the actual bathroom only needed enough room for a toilet and shower with bath tub. She noted this and turned on the shower. The water was ice cold at first, but had soon warmed to a nice steaming rain. Alister stepped into the shower and let the warm water flow down her body, soothing her muscles and her mind. She stood under the flow for a full five minutes before deciding to actually get clean.

Claus lay down on the bed on his back, staring at the ceiling and trying to imagine what to say to Lavie when she returned. 'Lavie, Alis and I love each other.' No, that was too direct. 'It's not what you think.' Actually, it _**was**_ what Lavie thought. Claus ran his hands over his face and sighed loudly. No matter what he thought of to say, he knew this was going to devastate Lavie. The girl practically worshiped Claus, and the more he thought about it, the more Claus realized that Lavie was completely convinced that they were 'meant for each other'. What had he done?

The sound of the shower being turned off broke his attention and glanced over towards the bathroom. Non-rhythmic splashing told Claus that Alister was wringing the water out of her long hair. The noise stopped and the door opened. Alister walked out of the bathroom with a cream colored bath towel around her body, covering her from her breasts to her knees. Her firm breasts bulged from the top of the towel. Claus wanted that towel to drop. But as much as he concentrated, it stayed up.

"Feel better?" he asked. Alister blinked once and looked down at the floor shyly.

"Much. Thank you." she said, blushing.

"My turn I guess." he said standing.

"I hope I left enough hot water." she responded. Claus joined her at the vanity and took a bath towel out from under the counter.

"Don't worry" he reassured her as he entered the bathroom, "I put in a larger heater last month." As he parted the shower curtain, he gave one glance back at the angel standing in his bedroom and smiled. She smiled back.

"I'll just be a minute." He said.

---------

The crickets were still chirping loudly as Lavie walked through town, her hands shoved deeply in her pockets to avoid the cold. She walked quickly, matching her steps to the anger and betrayal she didn't even try to conceal. Her eyes stung from crying and her nose was stuffed from crying; she had cried more in the last half hour than she had in over a year. Not since finding her father's body in Exile had she felt so sick, so awful at what she saw before her. But at least then she gained closure. What she witnessed back at her own house just opened a fresh wound.

She came to an intersection and looked at the street signs. They read Barker and Melanides. Lavie turned onto Barker, deciding to head back towards home. Even though it was the last place she wanted to be right now, she wasn't one to stay away from her own home just because she found her best friend in bed with her other best friend. She let out a single hard exhale and began walking down Barker Street. As she walked, she began thinking. Would Alister still be there when she got back? What would she say to Alis if she was? And what was she going to say to Claus?

Lavie ground her teeth in fury as the thoughts came to her. 'How dare he sleep with her behind my back!' she thought. 'Did he not know what we were? Did he not know how I felt about him? Did he not care?' Then the terrible truth flashed in Lavie's mind: He didn't know. She never told him. Her heart broke again from the missed opportunity and she burst into tears again. If she had only professed what she felt, he would have seen it, he would have known. But she had taken for granted that he had the same feelings.

Now for Claus and Alister to do…_**that**_... to her, in spite of her friendship with both of them. 'How – how _**dare they**_!' she thought, then realized that it was her own fault for not telling Claus how she felt. He could have been hers. And she lost him.

As she walked back towards her house crying, a Claudia-driven floating limousine rushed by, whipping Lavie's hair into her face and blowing a cloud of dirt onto her. Yet several dozen meters ahead…it stopped. Lavie looked up to see the vehicle back up towards her. She balled her hands into fists and balanced herself on fronts of her feet, ready to run or fight of necessary.

But to her shock, as the back half of the limo reached her and slowed to near zero, a rear side window rolled down to reveal the face of a young woman she hadn't seen in ages. Familiar grey blue eyes and long lashes couldn't hide under the makeup and dress of royalty. Lavie knew exactly who this was, and this 'girl' was the last person Lavie expected, or wanted, to be looking at.

"Tatiana?" Lavie greeted quizzically, "What the _hell_ are _**you**_ doing here?"

Royal Duchess of Anatoray Tatiana S. Wisla blinked and smiled warmly at her old rival.

"I was on my way to visit friends who live near town." the girl answered, "We arrived late so we're just now getting to their house." She noticed Lavie's slightly disheveled and tired condition.

"But, are you okay?" she asked, "Do you need help?" Lavie's shoulders slumped as she resigned to the idea of being driven home in a fancy limo.

"No" she said between sniffles, "I'm perfectly fine. But I could use a ride home."


	5. Chapter 5

The limousine hummed away as Lavie closed the back door. She shifted a bit in her seat, uncomfortable not only from being wet in the face with tears, but from getting this exquisite vehicle interior dirty with her shoes' grime. Tatiana didn't seem to notice much, but instead handed a small towel to the girl. Lavie took it with a small 'Thank you'.

"What were you doing out there?" Tatiana asked as Lavie dabbed her eyes and wiped her cheeks, then sniffed and set the towel down on her lap.

"I came home from shopping with Alvis," she said miserably, "and found Claus on his bed with Alister…naked." Silence filled the limo, and Lavie stared at her feet, inexplicably embarrassed to be telling this to the young Duchess. Tatiana cleared her throat to reply, but the only words which would come to her were, "I see."

Nothing else needed to be said, really. Both knew the other was deeply attracted to Claus, and both knew Claus was oblivious to the hints and signs each had given him. In the time since the Exile incident, they had each come to the conclusion that they were rivals in a game neither would win. Lavie looked up for a moment to see Tatiana staring out the limo window, apparently lost in thought. Perhaps she was resigned to the idea that Claus loved another? That she could never have him the way she wanted? Maybe Tatiana had buried that issue long ago, and was perfectly fine with the notion that Claus had made love to Alister…?

But Lavie was wrong. This new bit of news cut Tatiana deeply. She had always fancied that Claus might someday 'come around' and reciprocate her feelings, even if he was a commoner, and she, a member of royalty. That Claus had chosen another woman…no, her closest friend, to become romantic with, to become intimate with, was a slap in the face. Not that Claus intended it as such, but it still felt like one.

Tatiana reached up to her right cheek and wiped away a wayward tear, then sighed stiffly.

"Well" she said after a pause, "I'm…happy for them." No sense in going to pieces before this girl, or the driver. Turning her gaze towards Lavie, Tatiana smiled weakly.

"I know it's an unusual proposition to ask, but would you like to join me at the party? I'd like to have someone there with me whom I know more than just in passing."

Lavie looked at the girl dumbfounded. How could she ask that? Lavie was wearing civilian clothes, of lower class standing. She was emotionally shattered, confused, crushed… Then she realized why Tatiana was asking. Now that Claus had chosen Alister, they had no rivalry between them. Tatiana was giving Lavie an olive branch; a peace offering, signifying that the unspoken and simmering 'competition' between them was over. Lavie brightened a bit, but her smile faded quickly.

"I have nothing to wear", she replied glumly.

"Nonsense" Tatiana said, her voice gaining confidence again, "We can stop by a decent formal shop and find something for you on the way." Lavie's smile returned. She was still emotionally smashed by the sight of Claus and Alister, but at least she wasn't going to be sitting alone somewhere, miserable and distraught. While Claus and Alister were home sorting out their feelings, Lavie was going to be at a party, enjoying herself.

"Great!" she piped in her usual excited tone, "This should be fun!"

Tatiana leaned forward and called to the driver, "Driver. We need decent formal attire for this young woman." The driver nodded and took a turn back towards town. Sitting back into her seat, Tatiana smiled softly at Lavie. They might have been rivals before, but there was no reason that 2nd Tier Anatoray Duchess Tatiana Yulianova Wisla, and the now semi-famous Lavie Head, couldn't be friends.

Lavie cocked her head a bit to one side. "Ya think there's gonna be a few good lookin' guys for me to ogle at?" Tatiana giggled reflexively.

"Definitely.", she managed. Lavie began giggling too. This *was* going to be fun.

Alvis was asleep. Finally. The evening had been somewhat stressful as Claus and Alister, clothed in evening pajama tops and bottoms, explained it all to the girl. Not that Alvis was ignorant of the situation. She knew enough of romance, sex and intimacy to get the gist of what Claus and Alister were talking about. Which, to the teens' relief, made it far easier to discuss the matter. Though Alvis was initially confused as to why Lavie ran from the house in tears, she reasoned it out once Claus had made her aware of Lavie's feelings for him.

To the young girl's credit, she had blinked twice and said, "But if you love Alister, Lavie should be happy for you that Alister loves you too, right?" The edges of Alister's eyes glistened slightly, and she reached over and hugged the small girl, kissing her on the top of her head.

"Thank you for understanding." The younger girl simply smiled and hugged her back.

Afterward, the girls helped Claus prepare a small evening meal, and the older two ate silently as Alvis described in detail the very enjoyable day she and Lavie had. Dishes were washed, then little Al completed her nighttime routine and went to bed, leaving Claus and Alister alone again.

Claus walked over to the fireplace and got a gentle fire going. Wishing to enhance the mood, Alister turned off all of the lights, leaving only the orange flickering of the fire to warm the room in its light. The two then settled down on the couch, in a similar embrace to earlier in the afternoon. Claus reclined on the couch, and Alister leaned back against her lover, resting her head on Claus' shoulder with Claus' arms wrapped around her waist.

Claus replayed the earlier afternoon over in his head several times. At the third replay, a thought entered his mind that not six hours ago would have never possibly been there.

"Alis?" Claus asked.

"Yes?"

"What if…well…what if we get…?" Alister's eyebrows crinkled.

"What if we get 'what'?" she answered, puzzled at why he couldn't just ask what he was thinking. Claus sighed and tightened his embrace slightly. Alister found that her hands were on his, massaging them with her thumbs. Claus resumed his question.

"What if what we did…makes you pregnant?" Alister's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't thought of that. At eighteen, Alister was definitely old enough to become a mother, and though a year younger than her at seventeen, Claus was very much enough of a man to father a child. A few seconds passed.

"I…I don't know." she finally said, truly unsure of whether they might conceive; especially since his manhood had…'gushed' into her, while fully buried inside of her. "I guess we'll address that if it happens." Then she added with a lilt of contented joy, "But I wouldn't mind it."

Claus thought about it for another minute, then pitched his voice a bit lower and leaned closer to her ear.

"I want you, Alister Agrew." Alister shifted slightly so that she could look him in the eye.

"You…'want' me?" Claus smiled.

"Yeah. I want you. As my… I mean, I know it's early. But, I love you, and…" Alister silenced him with a kiss.

"I want you too, Claus Valca." She whispered, "And I wouldn't mind having your baby because it would be a little Claus." At that, she kissed him again, more passionately this time. With the deepening of the kiss, Claus felt his heart slamming in his chest. Alister's last statement sent it racing, and his love for her, his desire for her, suddenly drowned out any worry he had that this might not last. His thoughts began tumbling. Living his life with Alister. Enjoying holidays with her. The romance, a wedding, being married to her, raising children, playing with grandchildren, growing old together…

For the first time in his life, Claus Valca knew *exactly* what he wanted. And her name was Alister Agrew.

The kiss ended, and Claus sat up, gently pushing Alister to an upright, sitting position as well. Then he extricated himself from behind her, stood, and scooped her up in his arms, bridal style. Alister squeaked in surprise.

"Claus!" she said, shocked at his sudden move. For his part, Claus simply smiled in response, and carried her into the bedroom, laying her down on his bed, ready to enjoy another round or two of exquisite sex with this gorgeous, shy, soft-spoken honey blonde.

"You're so, so beautiful …y-ya know that?" he crooned with a slight stutter, his hands shaking a bit in anticipation as they ran down Alister's body. Alister's pupils dilated in response, her mouth parting just enough to show a meek smile, her cheeks growing red in sudden self-consciousness.

Outside, rain began falling. A few drops at first, but then more and more the drops splashed into each other, and the rain fell properly and heavily, in sheets. No thunder or lightning, just the rain. It hit the roof of Claus' home in a soft but determined patter, enough to muffle the noise around anyone who was listening, without becoming a deafening roar.

By this time, Claus and Alister had divested themselves of their evening pajamas and were exploring each other's naked bodies in curious delight. They had all night to enjoy loving one other. And now that they'd already admitted their devotion, the earlier session's nervousness was nowhere to be found. They relished and ravished with total abandon.

She stepped up the stairs wearing a pink and silver gown, and silver slippers. Modest, conservative, and not too expensive by the look of the crowd, but still the nicest thing she'd ever worn in her life. She consciously made sure to avoid any puddle or muddy area between the limousine and front door to the mansion. She followed her host past the guards and servants, and down the hall to a set of enormous doors, easily three or four meters tall, and almost as wide. The doors were opened for them, and Lavie Head was treated to a sight she'd only dreamed about in the middle of sleep.

Lavie had been to semi-formal gatherings back home, but this was something else. The opulence of the occasion struck her as almost absurd, ridiculous. The suits, dresses, uniforms, jewelry… A handful of…anything would fetch her enough to purchase ten or twelve vanships. Even a single utensil looked to be worth more than her average set of clothes on any given day. Never mind that she and Tatiana had found for her a nice dress and shoes for the party, and that her hair and face had been tended to in kind. Lavie was simply in a league she'd never imagined to find herself in. Any suitor here could offer her a lifestyle far above her highest hopes back with Claus.

Claus. Lavie's heart suddenly felt weighted down by an entire Anatoray battleship and she frowned.

"Lavie." Tatiana Wisla said, squeezing the girls upper arm. The former vanship pilot was dressed in a blue and cream dress, worn off the shoulders, arms bare beneath the elbows. The necklace situated on her shoulders and chest hung a pendant which signified her allegiance to (and service within) the new Anatoray-Disith alliance, a blue sapphire at the center to compliment her irises. Her hair was styled in the same brush to the side as always, but part of it was now held back in an embroidered headband.

Tatiana's silver-blue eyes flashed a look of cold impatience. This event was too important for her to lose face because of a brooding guest. Lavie forced the feeling aside and with immediate effort, perked up again. She was here on invite from Tatiana to have fun, to mingle, to take her mind off of the boy…no, man, she'd grown up with, grown to love. Her feelings with Claus would have to wait.

Not that the momentary lapse escaped the eyes and mind of Tatiana. She too had been smashed by the news of Claus and Alister's…intimacy. She'd even shed a tear or two in Lavie's presence back in the limo. But image and face were of paramount import at this function, and feelings would have to be worked on later.

The two young women stepped forward to the attendance maitre 'd and gave their names. The Maitre 'd announced their presence, and more than a few heads stopped their incessant yammering to take notice. Their reaction to Tatiana's name was well within expectation, but Lavie was apparently more well-known than she anticipated. Being a vanship pilot, and one aboard the now infamous Silvana, had made her name and deeds known to many in the upper echelon. Several men, young and old, stepped forward to welcome them, and the crowd resumed its usual low-volume commotion.

A few dances and conversations later, Lavie's eyes had wandered to the buffet. Even before her mouth could savor the sweet taste of the exotic and expensive food displayed in pride and elegance, her eyes had sampled everything. Meats, cheeses, cakes, hors d' oeuvres, samplers, pies, candied morsels, and a large enough variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to satisfy even the most discriminating visitor.

A certain sampler of meat and cheese had caught Lavie's eye, when another hand, gloved in white, reached down towards the same item. She looked up to the owner of the hand, and found her staring directly into the eyes of Major Mullin Shetland. A gasp escaped her mouth, and she brought a hand up to cover it. Then, too happy to think about her actions, she hugged him.

"Mullin!" Lavie chirped as she embraced the tall, uniformed solider-farmer in a tight bear hug. Mullin hugged back gingerly, looking around at confused faces.

"Lavie…" he implored, "People are staring!" Lavie slowly released the now embarrassed man from her grasp and looked to around to see if Tatiana had noticed her emotional outburst. Thankfully, Tatiana had her back to the table. If she noticed, she'd graciously given no indication.

"Where's Dunya?" Lavie asked as she chose another tidbit of deliciousness. Mullin fidgeted with the hors d' oeuvre in his hands and smiled. "At home with the babies." He said sheepishly, "we couldn't get a babysitter, so she stayed behind. Which is probably better since our youngest is only six months old…"

"You have another one!" Lavie teased as she popped the treat into her mouth. Mullin and Dunya, besides raising her two orphaned, pre-teen siblings, had a new baby. It had been a long labor, but their little girl was born healthy and squealing like a battle alarm.

"Whadaya mean, 'another one'?" he answered, "This is our first!" Lavie put her hands on her hips.

"Good ol' Mullin." she chided jokingly, "Always the first to deny responsibility." Mullin rolled his eyes.

"You haven't changed a bit." he said, then looked around the room in vain. "Where's Claus? And for that matter, what're *you* doing here? Isn't this place a bit…snobbish for your taste?"

Lavie's shoulders slumped, and her hands fell to her sides. "He's back home. With Alister Agrew. …probably naked." Mullin's smile disappeared.

"Oh. Sorry." Lavie shrugged, then looked up at the married father with a devilish gleam, "Hey, guess what?"

"Uh, what?"

"You, my dear Mullin" she said, hooking her arm in his, "get to introduce me to a few of your well-off soldier boys." Mullin's brain sank into his stomach. He didn't like where this was going.

"Oh no, no, no. Lavie, you…"

"Oh yes, yes, yes! I'm single, they're cute, and you're my co-pilot this evening."

Mullin sighed, resigned to the idea that he was to play wingman to the sparky girl with the bobbed, red hair.

Off to the side of the rather sizeable gathering, two members of the now neutral and far less powerful Guild sipped champagne, ignored the chamber orchestra, and watched the party-goers with increased intensity. One of them shifted slightly, a minute sign of impatience.

"She's not here." The other kept his look at the crowd, but answered his companion.

"True." he said, "We will have to find her. Until then, we wait."

"But you said she would be here." He pointed discretely towards Tatiana. "With…that one."

"Yes. I miscalculated." the other admitted, nodding momentarily at a young woman who passed him and smiled, "We will send a scout to find her. But as I said: We will find her soon enough. For now, we should…'enjoy' ourselves."


End file.
